Garment



H. BERMAN Sept. s, 193s.

GARMENT Filed DBC. l, 1937 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to garments, and more particularly to garments of a protective character such as aprons, overalls and the like and the object of the invention is to'provlde an improved means for holding a garment of this kind in position on the wearer.

Aprons, protective overalls and similar garments usually utilize tapes and like fastening means for holding them in position on the wearer. The tying and untying of such tapes, and particularly those located at the back of the wearer, is an inconvenient task, particularly when the apron has to be taken oi and put on quite i often during the day. 'I'he primary object therefore, of the invention, is to provide a simplified retaining means for holding the garment in position whereby tying tapes and similar inconvenient fastening elements are Wholly dispensed with and the garment can be put on and taken oi repeatedly almost instantly and wholly without trouble or inconvenience.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of an apron, overall or other garment provided with body-embracing resilient members or spring clips, which iit about the body and/or parts thereof, and iirmly, yet resiliently hold the garment in Wearing position, yet enable it to be instantly removed when required.

A further object of the invention is to provide means by which the resilient body-embracing members or clips may be readily removed from the garment when the same is to be laundered, and quickly replaced. y y

Another object of the invention is to provide an upper garment portion, having meians by which a lower portion may be easily attached, and means by which the lower portion may bev removed from wearing position, while leaving the upper portion in position on the wearer.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein several embodiments of the invention are shown, Fig. 1 is a front view of a protective garment of the apron type, as constructed of two connected sections; Fig. 2 is a similar View of the same, showing the lower section separated from the upper, to disclose construction; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the body-embracing clip used in the` structure of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a. sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the means for closing the end of the pocket or hem in which the body-embracing clip 55 is located; Fig. 7 is a View in perspective 0f a simple form of apron in which the invention is embodied; Fig. 8 is a rear view of a protective garment of the overall type in which the invention is incorporated; Fig. 9 is a sectional view through one of the leg portions of the garment 5 shown in Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the clips used in thegarment shown in Figs. '7 and 8.

With reference to the garment shown in Figs.

1 to 5 inclusive, I indicates an upper apron por- 10 tion of conventional tapered shape, the upper end thereof being provided with the usual suspension tape 2. The lower end of portion I is formed with a continuous hem or elongated pocket 3 into which the inner section 4 of a body-em- 15 bracing spring clip, shown in Fig. 3, is received. The section 4 of the clip is bent at one end as at 5 and extending from the bend 5 is an outer integrally formed section 6 similar to that shown at l, extending coextensively with the inner section 4. The free ends of the two sections I and 6 are provided with the loops 'I to facilitate the insertion and removal of the sections into their respective pockets, as will be explained.

The clip shown in Fig. 3 is preferably made of 25 spring Wire or similar material in the shape shown, so that it will iirmly, yet resiliently clip the garment onto the body and hold it in place at all times during' normal wear yet permit its instant manual removal. It will be, of course, understood that instead of spring wire, at resilient strip stock or some similar satisfactory material may be employed.

When the inner section 4 of the clip is located in the' pocket 3 the outer section 6 is disposed on 35 the outside of pocket 3 and in position to be received in a pocket or hem 9 provided along the upper edge of a lower apron section 8. Thus, when section 6 of the clip is located in the pocket 9, the upper portion I of the garment is detach- 40 ably connected to the lower portion 8 and a complete, two-section apron results, the two sections of the garment being held in position about the body by the single clip. The arrangement described permits separation of the apron portions Whenever desired. For example, the lower portion of the garment may become soiled more quickly than the upper section, in which event the lower portion may be removed from clip portion 6 and a clean lower portion substituted. To 50 prevent the lower section 8 of the garment from sagging while in use, a supporting tab Illhas its upper end attached by stitching Il to garment portion .I and has its lower end provided with snap faster element I2 adapted to engage co- 65 operating element I 3 near the top of apron por- In the structure of Fig. 7 an apron 28 of conventional form is shown, the same corresponding to that disclosed at 8 in Fig. 1, except that it is intended to be worn without the upper top portion I. Said apron 28 is formed with the pocket B extending along its upper edge, and in said pocket is located a single-section spring clip such as shown at I9 in Fig. 10. Both ends of clip I0 are formed with the loop 1. To facilitate the insertion and removal of the clip in pocket 9 of apron 28, and particularly the removal of the clip when the garment is to be laundered, the ends of the pocket 9 are each formed with an extended tab portion I5 on which a snap fastener element I4 is located, said snap fastener element being adapted to engage a co-operating element I6 located on the face of the pocket when the tab portion is folded over to close that end of the pocket at which it is located. By disconnecting the fastener elements and opening out the tab portion as shown in Fig. 6, it will be obvious that the spring clip may be immediately slid out of the pocket 9. To use the apron merely requires that the spring clip be expanded to cause it to engage or embrace the body at or about waistline position and by its resiliency it will firmly hold and support the garment in proper wearing position without the use of additional fastening or supporting means.

In Fig. 8 is shown a modification wherein the garment disclosed is of so-called overall type. That is to say, it has an upper apron portion 2li and a downwardly dependent lower part bifurcated at 23 to form leg-covering sections 22. The garment is provided with the elongated pocket 2| for the reception of one of the spring clips I9. 'I'he leg sections 22 are each provided with a pocket 24 also containing a spring clip, and at the lower end of each leg section is provided a pocket 25 for the reception of a spring clip I9. In placing the garment of Fig. 9 on the wearer, the suspension tape is hung over the neck and the spring clips in pockets 2|, 24 and 25 are sprung into position about the body; the clip in pocket 2l embracing the wearer at or about waist-line position, the clips in pockets 24 embracing the upper thighs, and the clips in pockets 25 embracing the lower leg at or about ankle position. Thus, by the clip arrangement shown, the garment is securely held in position on the wearer, covering almost the entire front portion of the body and eiiectively protecting the clothing.

While I have shown and described several embodiments of the invention, it is obvious that various changes in structure and design may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the lower apron section shown at 8 in Figs. 1 and 2 may be a bifurcated section such as the lower portion of the garment ot Fig. 8. or may assume any other desired shape. The pockets for the reception ot the spring clips may be positioned at various locations on the garment wherever it is desired to have the garment cling securely to or follow body contours, and many other changes may be made.

What I claim is:

1. A garment of the character described comprising, an apron having separable upper and lower portions, the lower end of the upper portion carrying a body-embracing spring clip, means on said upper portion for enclosing a part of said clip, the clip having another part extending externally of the upper apron portion, the lower apron portion having means for detachably engaging the externally extending part of the clip.

2. A garment of the character described comprising, an apron or like protective garment having an upper portion terminating at substantially waistline position, the lower end of said portion having a pocket extending for the length of said lower end, a body-embracing spring clip having a portion contained in said pocket, and having another portion disposed along the pocket on the outside of the same, and a lower apron portion having a pocket extending along its upper edgefor the reception of the last mentioned portion of the spring clip.

3. A garment of the character described comprising, an apron or like protective garment having an upper portion terminating at substantially waistline position, the lower end of said portion having a pocket extending for the length of said lower end, a body-embracing spring clip having 1" a portion contained in said pocket and having another portion disposed along the pocket on the outside of the same, a lower apron portion having a pocket extending along its upper edge for the reception of the last mentioned part of the spring clip, and a tab extending downwardly from the upper apron portion and having means for detachably engaging and aiding in the support of the lower apron portion.

4. In a garment of the character described, a L;

grally connected parallel sections, one of which.

is located within the other, an upper garment section having its lower end attached to the inner,

section of the clip, a lower garment portion having its upper end attached to the outer section of the clip, and tab means for linking the two garment portions detachably together.

HYMAN BERMAN. 

